Our mission is to ensure that in future, what is invented in Scotland is also made and manufactured in Scotland

Wendy Alexander Enterprise Minister

"In engineering, Scotland needs to be selling more sophisticated systems, less standard stock," she said on Sunday.

"In textiles, making more cashmere and less crimpolene, in electronics more servers and less PCs, in chemicals more complex pharmaceuticals and less bulk pigments."

Ms Alexander outlined a vision for stronger homegrown industry on the final day of the conference.

"Our mission is to ensure that in future, what is invented in Scotland is also made and manufactured in Scotland," she said.

Motorola has made 3,000 workers redundant

"The new strategy of science and skills is not a false dawn, a passing phase or a fashionable fad.

"We are setting a new direction - science and skills are the cornerstones of a smart successful Scotland."

She also told delegates that Labour had not abandoned its commitment to full employment.

Ms Alexander gave the example of the government's response to the announcement of 3,000 job losses through the closure of Motorola's Bathgate plant in West Lothian.

"I pledge today 95% of those affected at Motorola will be redeployed in a year," she said.

Next generation

She also highlighted the transformation of the prospects of shipbuilding on the Clyde.

"My aim is that the Clyde yards are the best placed in Britain for the next generation of work," she said.

"The next destroyers, the new frigates - but above all work on the aircraft carriers."

And she added: "There are no dead-end sectors, just dead-end strategies."